Having a Baby? The Parental Leaves in Portugal and Around the World

Having a baby is quite a milestone. The excitement’s through the roof, but doubts pile up like never before – and many have to do with your job. Whether you’re a soon-to-be mom or dad, it’s normal to want to know what will happen with your career.

Are you stopping for how long? Will you receive your salary in full? What are your rights?

Many questions we hope to answer throughout this article. But, as you may know, each answer depends on where you live, as different countries have different maternity and paternity leaves – amongst other employee benefits.

So, it’s time to get to know them deeper.

What You Need to Know About Maternity and Paternity Leaves in Portugal

In Portugal, maternity leave policies are designed to support expectant mothers and fathers during and after pregnancy.

In Portugal, the parental leave splits in 2: the initial and the extended. The first can go up to 150 consecutive days, including the mandatory periods for both parents. The extended leave can go up to 3 months.

The Initial Parental Leave

This one can go from 120 to 150 consecutive days, which can be enjoyed by both parents. Then, in the following cases, an extra 30 days can be added:

• In the shared leave between parents, both choose to share the initial leave exclusively – without it being simultaneously.

• In case you have twins (30 days for each twin in addition to the first).

• If babies are born prematurely (if the child is admitted to the hospital immediately after the recommended postpartum hospitalization period – due to the need for special medical care –, the initial leave increases by the period of hospitalization, up to a maximum of 30 days).

So, if parents opt for the 120 days, the Social Security (SS) pays for 100% of the leave – equivalent to the income earned. If they choose 150 days, SS pays for 80%.

Now that you have the big picture for both parents, it’s time to niche down – as, in Portugal, different rules apply to mothers and fathers.

Maternity Leave in Portugal

For the mothers, there’s a mandatory 6 weeks’ leave (42 days) after the birth. They can, however, start taking up to 30 days voluntarily before the birth. Depending on the mother’s decision, this is when the 120 or 150 days officially begin.

Now, for the father.

Paternity Leave in Portugal

This is when things change a bit.

Fathers have 28 days of mandatory leave – taken consecutively or not. After the baby’s born, the first 7 days are obligatory, so they must be taken immediately after birth. The remaining 21 days must be taken within 6 weeks (42 days).

If the baby needs hospitalization during the postpartum, the leave above is suspended. The father needs to ask for that suspension, then replaced by the hospitalization period.

Fathers are also entitled to a further 7 working days of voluntary leave, taken consecutively or not. However, for fathers to enjoy these, they must take them simultaneously as the mother’s initial leave.

Yet, there’s a third option.

Shared Parental Leave: How it Works

Both parents can choose to share the initial parental leave. This means that each one takes 30 consecutive days, but not at the same time – one goes first and then the other. Alternatively, they can split this period in 2, taking 15 consecutive days after the mother’s mandatory 6 weeks’ leave.

If you opt for this shared parental leave, you’re entitled to an additional 30 days (added to the 120 or 150 days).

In that case, the same logic applies: you can take the 30 additional days individually, or both parents may take 15 days at the same time – with a further 15 days for the mother or father only.

Let’s do the math so that you know how much you’re entitled to:

• If you choose the 120 + 30 days leave, SS pays you 100% of your income.

• If you choose 150 + 30 days, SS pays you 83%. This increases to 90% when the father takes 60 days’ paternity leave.

Though it may seem a bit complex – Portugal is one of the few countries granting 100% parental leave. Yet, there’s much more to know about Portugal's initial and extended parental leaves.

Now, let’s get an overview of the rest of the world.

Parental Leaves Around the World

We'll break down some important information if you plan to have a baby but still don’t know where.

You can think of relocating, working remotely (here’s a handy guide on what to look for in a remote company), or turning on your digital nomad mode. You can also be at one of those points already. Either way, it’s best to know the most essential details on parental leaves worldwide.

Countries Not Paying for Maternity Leave

You would think only third-world countries would be on this list. But that’s not true:

• The majority of the United States

• Marshall Islands

• Micronesia

• Nauru

• Palau

• Papua New Guinea

• Tonga

On the other hand, some offer fairer maternity leaves.

10 Countries With the Longest Maternity Leave

In this list, you can find the countries offering the longest maternity leave periods:

1. Bulgaria: 58.6 weeks at 90% pay

2. Canada: 50 weeks at 55% pay

3. Croatia: 30 weeks at 100% pay

4. Czech Republic: 36 weeks at 70% pay

5. Greece: 43 weeks at 54.2% pay

6. Iceland: 26 weeks at 80% pay

7. Norway: 59 weeks at 80% pay (or 49 weeks at 100% pay)

8. Sweden: 34.2 weeks at 80% pay

9. Slovakia: 34 weeks at 75% pay

10. United Kingdom: 39 weeks at 90% pay

If you wish, you can find more information on worldwide parental leaves here.

As you know by now, each country has its policies, so most of the mothers and fathers are covered. Countries like the United Arab Emirates, Australia, China, and Italy also grant paid maternity leave from 8 to 20 weeks.

So, if you’re still struggling with your decision, pick the countries you’d love to live in and, after that, research parental leaves and child benefits for all the information you need.

Best Shared Parental Leaves: The Top Countries

Let’s be honest: though things are evolving, you won’t find the same conditions for both parents everywhere. In most cases, only the mother is entitled to more days. In general, the father doesn’t have the same leave period, which can be frustrating. So, if you’re looking for equal conditions, these are the countries to go:

• Norway: 365 days

• Germany: 365 days

• Sweden: 240 days

• Iceland: 183 days

• Denmark: 168 days

Countries With Parental Leave for Same-Sex Parents

Parental leaves for same-sex parents are still hard to find. However, some countries already grant them – including for adopting parents, mainly Australia, Austria, Belgium, Estonia, and Iceland.

Though it’s hard to make a decision, we hope that, with this worldwide information, it gets a bit easier. Having a baby is one of the greatest challenges of all time, so it’s normal to have more doubts as days pass – whether you work in a traditional way or remotely for another country.

So, if you choose Portugal, here’s everything you need to know before moving to the country.